Officials: Light-rail ridership meeting projections

by Glen Creno - Jan. 9, 2009 03:01 PMThe Arizona Republic

Metro light rail estimates it is on track to meet or beat its ridership projections for the year.

The agency puts out its first official monthly totals in the middle of next month. But based on estimates, Metro believes its daily ridership from Monday of this week to today ranges from 20,000 to 30,000.

The monthly totals will be based on automated counters in train doorways. Metro did a first-week estimate to give an early snapshot on ridership.

Metro had projected that the 20-mile system that connects Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa would average 26,000 daily boardings per work day in its first year. Metro opened on Dec. 27, and this week was its first full week of paid service.

Metro expects a bump in ridership when Arizona State University students return to class later this month. Metro runs near ASU's Tempe and downtown Phoenix campuses.